Daddy? Call me Cat
by Saber Girls
Summary: by SG Leia. Set after the book Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley. Spoilers for Scarlett.


Daddy? Call me Cat

by Saber Girl Leia

12/2/05

Basically this is Cat and Rhett having their first heart to heart. Scarlett finds her way in, and remembers she has some important things to tell Rhett herself.

**Disclaimer**

: Scarlett and Rhett are Margaret Mitchell's; Cat is Alexandra Ripley's.

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Cat could not sleep. After a while, she stopped trying. Certainly there were more exciting things to do on the ship. She vaguely recalled Mother speaking about other times she had gone on boats, but did not really remember them herself.

Cat wanted to explore.

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Barefoot, the girl scurried out of her little room and up onto the deck. She wondered if there was anyone here to throw rocks. Mother had said there would not be.

She missed Ree and Grainne. But Mother said they were going on a trip to a city! They would see Ree and Grainne again.

Perhaps there would be a zoo.

Holding the railing, Cat leaned out to sea as much as her short height would allow, letting the breeze blow back her hair and light nightdress.

She had to think. The man, Rhett, seemed nice. And good. Mother had held him and cried on him and shown Cat to him and barely left his side since he had come. She had cried, but everything else seemed to mean Mother liked him... he must be a good man.

Mother had taken him into the tower. He must be a good man.

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"Scarlett, love?" A soft, half-sleeping mumble greeted Rhett's words. He took her hand, kissed her temple lightly. "I'll come back." Rhett slipped out of bed, tucking the sleeping form in warmly.

He was certain he had heard movement coming from the smaller room next door. Cat. Thinking suddenly and painfully but lovingly of Bonnie, he crept to the girl's room. _My daughter's room. I have a daughter. A living daughter. _

She was not there. Suddenly fearful, with superimposed images of a girl on a pony and a girl falling from a ships' prow, he ran to the deck.

A man on the night watch gave him a cursory nod, then ignored him. Rhett's anxiety lessened somewhat. Someone would have seen the girl. They would not have let anything happen.

But when he saw Cat, leaning far over the rail, her hair and dress streaming back, he could not stop himself. He ran to her and caught her in his arms, pulling her away from the rail.

Cat spun in his grip, an angry pout appearing on her face. "Mother would not have stopped Cat," she stated. Her expression softened after a moment. This was the good man. Mother trusted him.

Rhett's grip softened. "Perhaps I'll have to speak to your Mother, then." His voice was gruff, an attempt to hide emotion.

Cat changed the subject. "Who are you?"

Pause. "I'm your father, darling. I'm sorry I wasn't with you until now. I'll make up for it. I'll give you anything you want, darling."

"My name is Cat. Mother said you were my father.

"But I don't understand."

Rhett drew in a quick breath. "What do you mean, Cat?"

"Are you a priest?"

Rhett, suppressing a laugh, shook his head.

"Then the other type of Father. The boys from the village throw rocks at me and call me things - I thought maybe it was because I lived alone with Mother. She never told me what a Father was until you came. I only knew from the other children. And when Mr. Luke said he would be my Father."

Rhett did his best to avoid tensing and scaring his daughter, but he could not stop the angry frown that came at the mention of Fenton.

"Do you like horses?"

"Yes, Cat."

"Did you meet my pony?"

Rhett stiffened. He hated himself for being so scared, so unable to move on from Bonnie... but it was his nature. He could not change it, and in truth would not have wanted to if he could.

But this girl was not Bonnie. And yet, he would not stand by and let her die _block that thought!_ he would talk to Scarlett. She could tell him more. They would do this together.

"His name is Ree, King," said Cat, "when we go back I'll show him to you."

"Oh, Cat," Rhett whispered into her hair, embracing the girl suddenly. Ballyhara had been Cat's home, the only one she knew. Having lived everywhere and nowhere much of his life, Rhett had forgotten the wrenching pain of being torn up the first time. And yet, Cat seemed not to understand they might never go back.

After a moment of stillness, Cat struggled her way out of the hug. Rhett felt a loss.

Rhett said, "Would you like to call me Daddy?"

Cat pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"How about we go back to bed now, Kitty Cat?" Scarlett had told him about the girl's pet name earlier.

She looked at him askew. "I can't sleep. I wanna explore."

"Would you like a ride on my shoulders?" he asked.

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Scarlett woke as the ship went over a particularly large wave. She was startled for a moment, but knowledge of where she was came quickly.

But where was Rhett? She had a fleeting memory of his touch, his lips, his words. _"I'll come back."_ But she didn't want to wait. And Scarlett O'Hara - no, Scarlett Butler - _what is my name now?_ - always got what she wanted.

The woman dressed appropriately and went on deck.

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"So now that I have a Daddy, will I have brothers and sisters like all the other children?" Cat was asking sweetly. She was perched atop her father's broad shoulders, and he was pointing out stars to her.

It was the first thing of their conversation that Scarlett heard, and it cut her to the quick. She clutched at her stomach. How she longed to have another child, another ten children! Why, oh why had she discovered the joys of babies too late?

But Rhett's response was worse. "I bet you so! Your mother and I need to talk... but I think we'll have to give you a few brothers or sisters to play with, right?"

_I'll die_, thought Scarlett, _I didn't tell him. I'm a fool! Oh! _She mentally screamed at herself, the worst things she could think of, language she had learned from the soldiers she had tended years and years ago. _How could I? How could I not tell Rhett when his children are the most important thing to him in the world? _

What a selfish fool I was.

Scarlett stepped towards her family. A board creaked under her step, and Rhett turned to face her. In the moonlight she could make out his brilliant smile across the meters that separated them.

_Oh, Rhett. _Her heart melted.

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He walked slowly towards her. When he was but a few feet from Scarlett, Rhett swung Cat down from his shoulders. "Why, hello there, ma'am. I was under the distinct impression that you were still asleep."

Scarlett smiled. "How could I sleep with the two of you making all this racket?"

Rhett looked from Cat to Scarlett and back again. "We weren't making a racket, were we honey?"

"No, Mother. Father's right."

Rhett's eyes met Scarlett's above their daughter's head. Little happy tears pearled in both their eyes. Rhett threw an arm about Scarlett's shoulders. They looked across the water together.

It was a few moments later when they stirred. "I believe it's time we were getting back to bed," Rhett said. He moved away from Scarlett for a moment to take Cat's offered hand.

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Once Cat was securely tucked in bed and sleeping gently, Rhett escorted Scarlett back to their own room. He noticed that she was nervous about something.

"What is it?"

"Rhett... I heard you talking to Cat a moment ago..."

"This is about children, isn't it?" his voice was gruff.

Scarlett nodded hesitantly. "Yes." Pause. "I'm so sorry." Her voice was thick.

"No you're not, Scarlett. Don't lie. Just say what you mean and we get along a lot better."

She sat on the bed. "Rhett-"

"You could have mentioned this before, dear. You've seemed willing enough to put yourself in danger of becoming pregnant." His voice was cold, flat.

"No, it's not like that!" she continued before he could cut her off. "I want more children, truly I do! Poor darling Cat has no one to play with, and, and I... as soon as I realized..."

She fell to weeping uncontrollably, hating herself for showing such weakness in front of Rhett. Especially now. She was just winning back his respect.

Rhett reached forward and embraced her, letting Scarlett's head rest on his shoulder. He patted her back awkwardly. "It's all right, darling, truly it is." He had no idea what she was saying, but he could not lose her again.

"I love you, Rhett... I love you so much..." Scarlett sobbed and sniffled into his shoulder, then raised her head. "When Cat was born, it wasn't natural - there was too much damage from my fall. Grainne - Grainne had to cut her out. They didn't tell me until later that I'd never be able to have another child... and Cat the first one I cared for as I should! Oh, Rhett! No matter how much we try, it can't happen."

He was stunned. This was not what he had expected. Not at all. "Scarlett, love, it's all right. It's all right."

"I'm sorry... Bonnie..." the breath tore from Rhett's throat at the mention of his first daughter.

"Scarlett," his tone was sharper now, "stop."

"I can't."

"Scarlett..." he kissed her suddenly. She stopped. "I don't care."

"You do."

"I'll learn not to. So will you."

She leaned close and kissed him again. "You've changed, I think."

"So have you."

"In a good way?"

"My dear, in the best way."

They smiled.

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Review please! I love constructive criticism!


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